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North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park Opens February 14

North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park & Open Space Preserve opens to the public Saturday, February 14. The 820-acre park southeast of Santa Rosa features a 4-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail connection to Jack London State Historic Park. The trail climbs to nearly 2,000 feet on the north face of the mountain, leading hikers across creeks and forests and offering stunning views of Sonoma County.

County Acquires Land for Moorland Neighborhood Park

On December 22, 2014, Sonoma County completed the purchase of land in the Moorland neighborhood for use as a new park. The County will partner with residents and community groups in a collaborative planning process to design a park that reflects the character of the children and families that reside in the neighborhood.

Public Input Needed on Future of Maxwell Farms Park

Sonoma
County Regional Parks is planning forrenovations
and considering new features for Maxwell
Farms Regional Park in Sonoma and invites community members to share
their ideas at a Jan. 14 workshop. The session is an opportunity for Sonoma
Valley residents to help shape this popular park by recommending amenities and
programs.

Officials Dedicate Newest Segment of Bodega Bay Trail

Parks officials and community members gathered Thursday in Bodega Bay to open the newest trail segment in a larger pedestrian and bicycle route planned for the
coastal village. The
path dedicated by Sonoma County Supervisor Efren Carrillo and others is a .47-mile
connection between the Bodega Dunes campground and the Bodega Bay Community
Center and Children’s Bell Tower.

Disc Golf Course Opens at Taylor Mountain

An 18-hole disc golf course at Taylor Mountain Regional Park andOpen Space Preserve opens to the public this weekend. The course was built by
United Flyers of Sonoma, a non-profit group that entered into a five-year
contract with Regional Parks to build and maintain the course. United Flyers
unveils the course Saturday, Nov. 8, with an 11
a.m. ribbon cutting.

Land Acquired for Sonoma Valley Park Expansion

Sonoma County Regional Parks on Oct. 30 took ownership of 29 acres known
as the “Curreri property,” which sits in the “pinchpoint” of the
imperiled Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor. The land was purchased by the
Sonoma Land Trust, which immediately transferred the property to
Regional Parks to be added to the 162-acre Sonoma Valley
Regional Park. Along with its value for wildlife, the Curreri property
offers panoramic views of the Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Mountain, the
Mayacamas Range, and San Pablo and San Francisco Bays.

Free Parking for Veterans on Holiday Weekend

In honor of Veterans Day 2014, military members and veterans will receive
free parking at all Sonoma County Regional Parks for the holiday
weekend. Active duty, veteran and retired military personnel and
their families will be able to visit county parks and trails -
including parks such as Spring Lake, Doran Beach, Ragle Ranch, and
Taylor Mountain - with a special pass that waives the regular $7 day-use
parking fee from Saturday, Nov. 8, through Monday, Nov. 10.

Tolay Fall Festival Presents Two Weeks of Family Fun

The 2014 Tolay Fall Festival
presents two weekends of old-time nature-based fun the weekends of Oct.
11-12 and 18-19. More than a pumpkin patch outing, the Tolay Fall
Festival is a seasonal celebration connecting visitors with the beauty
and history of Tolay Lake Regional Park in the hills southeast east of Petaluma. Activities are low-key, hands-on and educational by design.

Public Invited to Sonoma Valley Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail Workshops

Sonoma County Regional Parks
invites the public to participate in its study of a potential bicycle and
pedestrian trail through the Sonoma Valley. The first of three information
sessions on the trail concept is scheduled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept.
25, at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall, 126 1st St. West.
Participants will learn about the project’s background and scope and will have
an opportunity to ask questions, complete a survey, and provide comments.

Tolay Fall Festival Volunteers Needed

Sonoma County
Regional Parks is seeking volunteers for the annual Tolay Fall Festival at
Tolay Lake Regional Park in mid-October.
Volunteers are needed to help Regional Parks’ staff with heritage crafts and
games, wildlife exhibits, hay rides, pumpkin patch visits and other aspects of
this festival in the hills southeast of Petaluma.

Transfer of Sonoma Mountain Parkland Approved

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, acting concurrently as directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District, on Aug. 19, 2014 authorized the transfer of fee title of the Sonoma Mountain properties, five District acquisitions totaling 736 acres, from the District to Regional Parks, subject to a conservation easement and recreation covenant. Over several years, the District was able to purchase the contiguous properties from willing sellers. With the addition of one property already owned by Regional Parks, the chain reaches from Sonoma Mountain Road to Jack London State Park and protects one of the most significant view sheds in the County.

Dog Swims at Spring Lake throughout September

The lagoon at Santa Rosa's Spring Lake Regional Park goes to the dogs
in September when the park hosts its popular off-leash swims each
weekend. Well-behaved dogs are invited to swim in the 3-acre lagoon and
romp leash-free on the sandy beach on the following days:

Public Access Restored to Sea Ranch Beach

Public access to “Walk On Beach," a quarter-mile of sandy shore in The Sea Ranch,
is restored after years of trail closure. The reopening is the result of an
agreement between Sonoma County and The Sea Ranch Association that shifts a
portion of the public path onto open space held in common by the private
community. The Sea Ranch Association completed the trail
work in July, and public beach access is fully restored.

Take the Trails Challenge - Free Parking on June 7

Sonoma County Regional Parks is
launching its first “Trails Challenge” with free day-use parking at 15 parks on
National Trails Day, Saturday, June 7. The Trails Challenge invites you to
explore the Regional Parks by hiking five or more trails featured in the Trails Challenge guidebook anytime between June and November. If you complete all five
hikes and turn in a trails log, you can receive a free Trails Challenge water
bottle or other gift and be entered into drawings for Regional Park memberships.

Parks Celebration Brings Free Adventures to Parks

Army Corps Funds Bodega Bay Dredging Studies

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has budgeted $500,000 to plan for the
dredging of the federal channel at Bodega Bay. The funding is in the
Army Corps’ 2014 Civil Works Plan delivered to Congress last week and
will cover the studies and permits needed to perform future maintenance
dredging. Securing funding is a competitive process, said
Regional Parks Director Caryl Hart, and the efforts of 5th District
Supervisor Efren Carrillo, Sonoma County’s congressional
representatives, and Army Corps staff were key to moving the project
forward.

Tolay Master Plan Workshop - Jan. 16, 2014

The public is invited to a Jan. 16, 2014 workshop to learn more about the planning process for Tolay Lake Regional Park and to share ideas and feedback on the park's future uses. A park master plan
is being prepared to provide a range of outdoor recreation and
environmental education opportunities and to protect sensitive habitats
and cultural resources.

Regional Parks to Study Sonoma Valley Bike Trail

Sonoma County Regional Parks has been awarded a $190,575 grant from the
California Department of Transportation to study the feasibility of
connecting Santa Rosa and Sonoma with a bike trail through the Sonoma
Valley. Regional Parks learned this week it will get a “Community-Based
Transportation Planning Grant” for the proposed Sonoma Valley Trail, a
project that would give bicyclists and pedestrians a safe way to travel
the busy Highway 12 corridor and would be a major component of the
county's inter-city trail network.

Doran Park Road Improvements Planned for Oct. 14-24

Doran Regional Park will be closed for 11 days in October while the main
road through the park is repaved. A new surface will be applied to
Doran Park and Doran Beach roads from Oct. 14 through Oct. 24, with the
project stretching from Highway 1 to the Jetty Day Use Area at the
park’s west end.

Regional Parks Website Wins Design Award

Sonoma County Regional Parks’ newly designed
website, SonomaCountyParks.org,
has been named “Best in Class” in the 2013 Interactive Media Awards, an
industry competition open to web designers from around the world. The awards
recognize websites in various categories, and Regional Parks’ site is one of 11
receiving the highest honor in the government category. The designation
represents the best in planning, execution and overall
professionalism. To win at this level, the site had to pass a comprehensive
evaluation based on design, content, functionality, usability and browser
compatibility – an achievement only a fraction of competing sites earn each
year.

Tolay Lake Planning Workshop - June 15

The public is invited to a June 15 workshop to learn about the master planning process for Tolay Lake Regional Park and share ideas about future uses for the Petaluma-area park. Sonoma County Regional Parks is hosting the session from 2 to 4 p.m. at the park, which is at 5869 Cannon Lane just east of Lakeville Highway. The meeting will be the first of three workshops where the community can offer feedback on plans for the park.

Bodega Bay Trail Update - June 5

Feedback Sought on Dog Park Improvements

Sonoma County Regional Parks is hosting two meetings at Ernie Smith Community Park to gather input on proposed improvements to the off-leash dog area. Regional Parks is seeking feedback on plans to create a section of dog park for small dogs only.

Taylor Mountain Regional Park opens to public

The
1,100-acre Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve in southeast
Santa Rosa opens to the public starting Saturday, Feb. 23. Visitors will no longer need
permits to use the property, and the entrance on Kawana Terrace will be open
daily from 8 a.m. to sunset.

Laguna de Santa Rosa Trail Opens to Public

A 2.4-mile trail in the Laguna de Santa Rosa opened to the public November 16, 2012, giving hikers, cyclists and equestrians a new route through the unique landscape of Sonoma County's largest freshwater wetland.

Regional Parks Receives $1 Million for Future Mark West Park and Open Space Preserve

Sonoma County Regional Parks has received $1 million from the California River Parkways Program to help purchase 297 acres in the Mark West Creek watershed for a future regional park and open space preserve. The grant is among 33 statewide announced this week.

Taylor Mountain Master Plan Approved

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, acting concurrently as directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, on Oct. 9, 2012 approved a comprehensive master plan for creating a regional park and open space preserve on the Taylor Mountain properties in southeast Santa Rosa. Over two years in the making, this blueprint for the Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve details how to provide hiking, camping and other recreation opportunities and protect the environmental and agricultural value of the 1,100-acre site.

Regional Parks to Manage Annadel State Park

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on June 11, 2012 authorized an agreement that will keep Annadel State Park open to the public for at least another year. The Board’s unanimous action will allow Sonoma County Regional Parks to manage Annadel from July 1 through June 30, 2013, sparing the park from imminent closure due to state budget cuts.